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Future Paths of Phenomenology

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Knowledge as de re true belief?

Paul Égré

pp. 1517-1529

Abstract

In “Facts: Particulars of Information Units?” (Linguistics and Philosophy 2002), Kratzer proposed a causal analysis of knowledge in which knowledge is defined as a form of de re belief of facts. In support of Kratzer’s view, I show that a certain articulation of the de re/de dicto distinction can be used to integrally account for the original pair of Gettier cases. In contrast to Kratzer, however, I think such an account does not fundamentally require a distinction between facts and true propositions. I then discuss whether this account might be generalized and whether it can give us a reductive analysis of knowledge as de re true belief. Like Kratzer, I think it will not, in particular the distinction appears inadequate to account for Ginet-Goldman cases of causally connected but unreliable belief. Nevertheless, I argue that the de re belief analysis allows us to account for a distinction Starmans and Friedman recently introduced between apparent evidence and authentic evidence in their empirical study of Gettier cases, in a way that questions their claim that a causal disconnect is not operative in the contrasts they found.

Publication details

Published in:

Dutant Julien, Fassio Davide, Meylan Anne (2017) Truth & epistemic norms. Synthese 194 (5).

Pages: 1517-1529

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-016-1115-z

Full citation:

Égré Paul (2017) „Knowledge as de re true belief?“. Synthese 194 (5), 1517–1529.